I made a thread like this once in like 2010 or something. I love reading lists like these and making them so I'm here to do it again now that my tastes have changed dramatically.
This list is not in order, because that's just way too hard for me to do, so instead I'll just list them in alphabetical order.
Brian Eno - Another Green World (1975)
So objectively, this might be the best album ever. I don't know, I'm not here to try and make that distinction. What I do know is that this is one of those very rare albums that is just plain perfect from the first to the final minute. This laid the framework for electronica and ambient music for the rest of ever, and the influence is still plainly obvious even to this day. It's not just a fantastic record, but it's extremely important, and will keep you both interested and soothed for it's entire duration. This is clearly Eno's finest work, and that's quite a compliment given how great the rest of his discography is. A true, modern-day genius.
The National - Boxer (2007)
Just the ultimate rainy day album. Every song is so somber, but Matt Berninger lays everything out on the table for you. There's a surreal beauty to every song on this record, and "Fake Empire" is one of the finest songs ever written. In terms of traditional indie rock, it doesn't get much better than this, plain and simple.
David Bowie - Low (1977)
One of the best bang-for-your-buck albums ever released. This was when Bowie changed his direction, and this album just organically shows his transformation from the first side to the next. You're introduced with some excellent art rock songs, which tease you with their strange, electronic experiments while still keeping things catchy and fun. Then you slowly begin getting weirder, with "What in the World" starting off with video game-like beeps and boops that particularly catch your interest. You then slowly wander into the second half of the album, which is some of the most beautiful music ever by a rock musician. There's so much here for an advanced music listener to truly discover and appreciate, and the variety of songs will keep you coming back again and again.
Elliott Smith - Either/Or (1997)
I'll be the first to admit: I'm an Elliott Smith fanboy. To the extent that I truthfully believe he's never written anything less than a great song. Given that I'm under his spell like this, it's extremely difficult to pinpoint my favorite work of his. I usually settle on Either/Or mostly because it's his most consistent work. I may find Waltz #2 and Tomorrow, Tomorrow to be better songs than anything on this album, but this one presents an ethereal cohesiveness that makes it a magical listening experience no matter what mood you're in. These songs are written with such a poetic mastery that they can be taken differently every time you listen to them. Is "Say Yes" sad or hopeful? Sentimental or uplifting? I don't know, and that's what makes this album so beautiful.
The Antlers - Hospice (2009)
Sometimes you fall in love with an album simply because you just instantly feel grabbed by it, and you decide to never let go. Anyone that's had a serious music discussion with me since I was 15 years old has heard me talk about this album. It's hard to describe what I see in it, really. Obviously I view it as a masterpiece, and one of the most intimate glimpses into the heart of sadness that has ever and will ever be recorded. Some might criticize this list of albums as being overall to harsh and too dark. Well, that's because I feel that's when the most powerful human emotions come out; when we are at our worst. Hospice was clearly recorded by a man that's deeply in pain, and it oozes throughout every track until you're forced to go through the experience with him. This is truly a sensational record that I think everyone should experience at least once simply to understand what true, uninhibited emotion sounds like.
Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)
I know this list is supposedly not in order, but I assure you this is #1. I mean, duh. If there's anyone out there that thinks they know me that isn't aware that this is my favorite album of all-time by now, then you have a lot to learn about me. I don't necessarily think this is the greatest album ever in terms of mere songwriting, although I am happy to argue that the title track deserves to be considered one of the finest compositions in the history of rock music. Regardless, this album is not perfect even though I thoroughly enjoy every song. What makes it so special to me is that it introduced me to an untapped beauty in the world in a different way than any album ever has. This is different from simply discovering a new genre or something like other incredible albums have done, this album instead introduced me to an entirely new culture. From the very moment I heard this album, I began to simply love world and African music, and that is emphasized in other places on this list like on Bowie's Low or Remain in Light. I find the style and the singing to be so primal and beautiful, it's absolutely enchanting to listen to, and I have this album to thank. It's a life-changer, and not many albums accomplish that for me nowadays.
Nick Drake - Pink Moon (1972)
The ultimate folk album. I can say pretty definitively that this is the best guitar playing ever recorded. It might not be the most difficult per se, but Drake plays so flawlessly. These are still hard songs to play, and you will never hear a single semblance of a slip-up, it is technically as perfect as someone can ever play the guitar. It's this eerie robotic consistency that contributes to the other-worldly beauty of this album. What makes it all even more strangely enthralling is the actual fact that there is no video footage of Nick Drake in any form in existence. This mysterious persona just makes this album even more haunting, and you can top it all off with the beautifully weird album cover and you have some of the best 28 minutes in music.
Talking Heads - Remain in Light (1980)
I'm running out of adjectives to use here, but I assure you nothing I have written for this list has been hyperbole. These albums are indescribably wonderful, and Remain in Light is certainly no exception. I've always loved some of Talking Heads' most well-known singles, but it took me a while to really connect with this album. When I finally started to realize the technical brilliance displayed in these songs, it clicked. It's perfect for any type of listening mood: it's excellent as fun, funky background music, but it's also highly rewarding as an in-depth, analytical listen. There's never a time someone can't enjoy this album.
Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam (2007)
This doubles not only as one of the catchiest albums on this list but also one of the strangest. This is what makes Animal Collective so effective: they reward listeners with some serious ingenuity in their songwriting, while also giving you something you can sing along to. I dare you to tell me "Peacebone" isn't hopelessly infectious...but that doesn't come until after the abrasive, psychedelic intro. The moment that the madness that starts that song begins to take form and rhythm is one of the most interesting moments of music I've ever heard. This definitely deserves to be in the discussion for some of the best albums of all-time, there's some seriously brilliant writing to be discovered here, especially on "Fireworks".
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
I mean, this is another "duh" album. I would bet that almost everyone that's ever heard this album would place it among their favorites of all-time (don't quote me on this or make a big deal out of it, it's obviously a generalization). It's just that good and that revolutionary. This stuff was written in 1967, people. I don't know how someone can say The Beatles were "ahead of their time" while Lou Reed and John Cale were over here writing about hookers and heroin in 1967. This album is pretty easy to get into despite the obvious experimental nature of it all, and that's what makes it so delightful and timeless. Tracks like "Venus in Furs" and "Heroin" still send chills down my spine no matter how many times I hear them.
This list is not in order, because that's just way too hard for me to do, so instead I'll just list them in alphabetical order.
Brian Eno - Another Green World (1975)
So objectively, this might be the best album ever. I don't know, I'm not here to try and make that distinction. What I do know is that this is one of those very rare albums that is just plain perfect from the first to the final minute. This laid the framework for electronica and ambient music for the rest of ever, and the influence is still plainly obvious even to this day. It's not just a fantastic record, but it's extremely important, and will keep you both interested and soothed for it's entire duration. This is clearly Eno's finest work, and that's quite a compliment given how great the rest of his discography is. A true, modern-day genius.
The National - Boxer (2007)
Just the ultimate rainy day album. Every song is so somber, but Matt Berninger lays everything out on the table for you. There's a surreal beauty to every song on this record, and "Fake Empire" is one of the finest songs ever written. In terms of traditional indie rock, it doesn't get much better than this, plain and simple.
David Bowie - Low (1977)
One of the best bang-for-your-buck albums ever released. This was when Bowie changed his direction, and this album just organically shows his transformation from the first side to the next. You're introduced with some excellent art rock songs, which tease you with their strange, electronic experiments while still keeping things catchy and fun. Then you slowly begin getting weirder, with "What in the World" starting off with video game-like beeps and boops that particularly catch your interest. You then slowly wander into the second half of the album, which is some of the most beautiful music ever by a rock musician. There's so much here for an advanced music listener to truly discover and appreciate, and the variety of songs will keep you coming back again and again.
Elliott Smith - Either/Or (1997)
I'll be the first to admit: I'm an Elliott Smith fanboy. To the extent that I truthfully believe he's never written anything less than a great song. Given that I'm under his spell like this, it's extremely difficult to pinpoint my favorite work of his. I usually settle on Either/Or mostly because it's his most consistent work. I may find Waltz #2 and Tomorrow, Tomorrow to be better songs than anything on this album, but this one presents an ethereal cohesiveness that makes it a magical listening experience no matter what mood you're in. These songs are written with such a poetic mastery that they can be taken differently every time you listen to them. Is "Say Yes" sad or hopeful? Sentimental or uplifting? I don't know, and that's what makes this album so beautiful.
The Antlers - Hospice (2009)
Sometimes you fall in love with an album simply because you just instantly feel grabbed by it, and you decide to never let go. Anyone that's had a serious music discussion with me since I was 15 years old has heard me talk about this album. It's hard to describe what I see in it, really. Obviously I view it as a masterpiece, and one of the most intimate glimpses into the heart of sadness that has ever and will ever be recorded. Some might criticize this list of albums as being overall to harsh and too dark. Well, that's because I feel that's when the most powerful human emotions come out; when we are at our worst. Hospice was clearly recorded by a man that's deeply in pain, and it oozes throughout every track until you're forced to go through the experience with him. This is truly a sensational record that I think everyone should experience at least once simply to understand what true, uninhibited emotion sounds like.
Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)
I know this list is supposedly not in order, but I assure you this is #1. I mean, duh. If there's anyone out there that thinks they know me that isn't aware that this is my favorite album of all-time by now, then you have a lot to learn about me. I don't necessarily think this is the greatest album ever in terms of mere songwriting, although I am happy to argue that the title track deserves to be considered one of the finest compositions in the history of rock music. Regardless, this album is not perfect even though I thoroughly enjoy every song. What makes it so special to me is that it introduced me to an untapped beauty in the world in a different way than any album ever has. This is different from simply discovering a new genre or something like other incredible albums have done, this album instead introduced me to an entirely new culture. From the very moment I heard this album, I began to simply love world and African music, and that is emphasized in other places on this list like on Bowie's Low or Remain in Light. I find the style and the singing to be so primal and beautiful, it's absolutely enchanting to listen to, and I have this album to thank. It's a life-changer, and not many albums accomplish that for me nowadays.
Nick Drake - Pink Moon (1972)
The ultimate folk album. I can say pretty definitively that this is the best guitar playing ever recorded. It might not be the most difficult per se, but Drake plays so flawlessly. These are still hard songs to play, and you will never hear a single semblance of a slip-up, it is technically as perfect as someone can ever play the guitar. It's this eerie robotic consistency that contributes to the other-worldly beauty of this album. What makes it all even more strangely enthralling is the actual fact that there is no video footage of Nick Drake in any form in existence. This mysterious persona just makes this album even more haunting, and you can top it all off with the beautifully weird album cover and you have some of the best 28 minutes in music.
Talking Heads - Remain in Light (1980)
I'm running out of adjectives to use here, but I assure you nothing I have written for this list has been hyperbole. These albums are indescribably wonderful, and Remain in Light is certainly no exception. I've always loved some of Talking Heads' most well-known singles, but it took me a while to really connect with this album. When I finally started to realize the technical brilliance displayed in these songs, it clicked. It's perfect for any type of listening mood: it's excellent as fun, funky background music, but it's also highly rewarding as an in-depth, analytical listen. There's never a time someone can't enjoy this album.
Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam (2007)
This doubles not only as one of the catchiest albums on this list but also one of the strangest. This is what makes Animal Collective so effective: they reward listeners with some serious ingenuity in their songwriting, while also giving you something you can sing along to. I dare you to tell me "Peacebone" isn't hopelessly infectious...but that doesn't come until after the abrasive, psychedelic intro. The moment that the madness that starts that song begins to take form and rhythm is one of the most interesting moments of music I've ever heard. This definitely deserves to be in the discussion for some of the best albums of all-time, there's some seriously brilliant writing to be discovered here, especially on "Fireworks".
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
I mean, this is another "duh" album. I would bet that almost everyone that's ever heard this album would place it among their favorites of all-time (don't quote me on this or make a big deal out of it, it's obviously a generalization). It's just that good and that revolutionary. This stuff was written in 1967, people. I don't know how someone can say The Beatles were "ahead of their time" while Lou Reed and John Cale were over here writing about hookers and heroin in 1967. This album is pretty easy to get into despite the obvious experimental nature of it all, and that's what makes it so delightful and timeless. Tracks like "Venus in Furs" and "Heroin" still send chills down my spine no matter how many times I hear them.
